MAINE PUBLIC • November 30, 2022
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reclassifying the northern long-eared bat as endangered. The bats are found in 37 states, including Maine and every other New England state. Their population has been decimated by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that infects them during hibernation. State biologist Cory Stearns says historically, 60-100 long-eared bats were found in three Maine caves. "During our last count, which was the winter of 2019 and '20, none of them had northern long-eared bats," he said. Stearns says they've still counted bats in summer surveys, but their population continues to decline.